Rimini to collect tourist tax through Airbnb from April 2018

From April 1st 2018 Rimini will collect tourist tax through Airbnb, simplifying hundreds of hosts’ lives. Today the Municipality of Rimini and Airbnb reached an agreement to collect the tourist tax automatically on behalf of the hosts when a booking is made through the platform.

Rimini is the first “capital of seaside tourism” to reach such agreement, and one of the five Italian cities to have joined this initiative so far. With Rimini and Bologna, Emilia-Romagna is the first Region featuring two cities that will benefit from the initiative.

The agreement states that checkout prices on Airbnb will include a tourist tax (3% total charge payable with the upper limit, required by law, of €5 per person for each night of the stay), which will be remitted directly to the City of Rimini quarterly.

There are 930 listings in Rimini (+21% YoY). Over the last 12 months 18,600 inbound guests have chosen to stay in Rimini (+49%) with an average stay of 4,1 nights. Also over the last year, the typical host in Rimini has shared his or her home for 45 nights a year and gained around €2,600 in the process. Hosts are people like Giorgia, a journalist, Stefano, a sport instructor, and Giacomo, a real-estate broker.

Here are some of their thoughts.

“I had to supplement my household income after I had my first son and I thought about Airbnb. I revived an old tradition: my grandparents, just as many other people in Rimini in the 60s, during Summer would rent their home to tourists and would move to a nearby guesthouse. Sharing my home through Airbnb guarantees quality to guests and makes me feel safer about who I will welcome into my home. I hope to be a good ambassador for my city Rimini. I always try to show guests the real city in every season (I always leave a small guide in my house, featuring my favourite places to live like a local). I also bring an economic value to the community, since the municipality has introduced a tourist tax on short-term rentals.”

Giorgia, Airbnb host in Rimini

“After going to live with Barbara, I started hosting visitors in Rimini in the house I left. Initially, I didn’t give it much thought, but after a couple summers and some experience with Airbnb, I really understood how substantial the added value we are bringing to the territory is. We give a lot to our guests, to the city and its economy, to Airbnb and last but not least, to ourselves. I feel I have grown so much as a person, and that I have expanded my horizons enormously.”

Giacomo, Airbnb host in Rimini

Barbara and Giacomo

“I always recommend places and locations that are off the beaten track. I encourage people to discover the historic part of Rimini compared to the typical one, the beach destination. The same goes for restaurants: I always recommend the ones with a philosophy I really appreciate, such as using organic and locally grown food, or that feature a wide range of vegetarian dishes. Being an host is a unique experience: it’s nice to leave your mark while people are experiencing your city.”